Times Of Shadows
by Priestess and Aqua Faerie
Summary: One day as Priest Seth is working (a.k.a sulking and yelling), a bright light slices the sky. This 'light' is Mariku, and he's ready to take over Egypt. But what if he succeeds this time?
1. Ancient Egypt: Default Chapter

Priestess: This is written by Aqua Faerie with a little editing from yours truly.

The sun beamed down on the city of Cairo, making the surroundings comfortably warm, especially for a certain priest. The people could be heard, chatting merrily with others while they worked. Children could be seen, climbing high on the sand dunes, playing together. It was a happy, yet ordinary day.

High Priest Seth stood watching the people, obviously annoyed. The job he had was a dull one, and certainly insignificant in his opinion. Scrutinizing the people do their job was certainly too unimportant for a High Priest, yet he had still been given the job. So he stood there, continuing his demeaning task, holding a staff in his left hand and the Millennium Rod in his right. 

Occasionally, a child or two would come up to him, asking him questions. Once they saw the look on his face, however, they wisely chose to leave before they got an answer. For no doubt they had realized that the answer they would receive would be one they didn't ask for, and it would most likely be unpleasant. 

After about an hour, Seth sighed. It looked like there was nothing going on. Normally, one would be happy with this. It showed the residents of this city in Egypt were disciplined. When you are the one watching them, however, you begin to feel otherwise. 

Suddenly a bright light became visible in the sky. The people began to panic as the light came closer and closer. Soon, people began to wonder if they would cease to exist once it hit. Seth sighed, "Remain calm." he said, although he was no reassurance, for the people weren't altogether trusting of him, with his haughty and rather superior attitude. 

Seth sighed for the second time _'why, why must I be the one to watch these idiotic citizens of the no**-**good Pharaoh?_' He asked himself furiously, as the people began running around in frenzy. He kicked the sand angrily, cursing just about everyone in sight.  "For God's sake, just **calm down!"** he roared, causing everyone to stop and stare. "There is _nothing_ terrible going to happen. Return to your daily routines, if the earth is going to end, you will be informed prior to the event." He smirked. However, no one got his cynicism, and they returned to wreaking havoc throughout the land.

Seth mock-strangled his rod.

The light finally hit the ground, in an oasis near by. "THANK GOD!" he said a tad bit louder then necessary. "Alright, citizens of Cairo," he began addressing the people formally. "I will investigate this light and the reason for it. As you can see, the world as we know it, has _not_ come to an end, therefore you must return to your daily routines. If you have any problems, don't talk to me. Take it up with the idiotic Pharaoh." He spat furiously.

Seth ran to it, curious to see what had happened. He reached the oasis, with its sparkling lake, and lush-green palm trees. He could see a "thing" that was just a little beyond that. Upon seeing it, Seth gasped, than regained his usual dignified posture. It was a sleek, and rather large mode of transportation, from what he could tell. But such a thing was something he had never seen before. He chanced a closer glance, and looked at it. A name, shining visibly under the sun, regardless of the scratches around it, was etched into the object. Priest Seth read the name with interest. 

That name was Kaiba Corp.__


	2. Present Day: Light and Dark

Priestess: I wrote this chapter

An Egyptian boy stared resignedly out the window. His name, Malik, means Master, but he is in no way a master-in fact, his life has been manipulated by others for so long that he became a control freak. Fitting that he has the power to control minds. The first thing you would notice about him was how incredibly hot he is.

*_Why does_ _it_ _feel like night_ _today?  
Something in_ _here's not_ _right today.  
Why am I so uptight_ _today?  
Paranoia's_ _all I got left_*

His body is slim, borderline skinny, but muscular. His arms and legs are wiry and powerful, the outlines of his veins visible on the tight skin. His skin tone is the perfect shade of smooth mocha, no scars, no wrinkles, not a single mark on it. Completely flawless. I haven**'**t even gotten into his hair, yet-limp and straight but silky with the most unusual hue. It**'**s like a sun-kissed blonde, bleached from years spent in the blistering desert sun. His exotic appeal is further maximized by his stunning purple eyes, ranging from a torrential violet to the clearest lavender depending on his mood.

*_I don't know what_ _stressed me first  
Or_ _how the pressure was fed  
But I know just what it_ _feels like  
To_ _have a voice in the_ _back of my_ _head_*

He was one of three souls who are the lightest of elements, whereas others are a mixture of dark and light, but unlike the others**'** his darkness was of the purest element, and his light wasn**'**t-or so he believed.

His dark side was named Mariku; though he had many other names-he was the nightmare to Malik**'**s dream, the war to his peace, the death to his life.

*_Like a face that I hold inside  
A face that_ _awakes_ _when I close_ _my eyes  
A face watches every_ _time I lie  
A face that laughs every time I fall_*

Yeah, yeah, the Pharaoh got rid of Mariku and Malik should be in Egypt with Rishid and Isis, but there were some complications.

*_And_ _watches_ _everything_*

There was a terrible storm during the return to Egypt and Rishid was thrown overboard. Isis rescued them and got them safely back to Japan, where Malik returned the Ring (Bakura included) to Ryou, begging him not to tell Yami about Bakura, believing he owed him.

It was a mistake.

*_So I know that when it's time to sink or swim  
That the_ _face inside is_ _hearing me  
Right underneath my skin_*

Bakura didn**'**t like losing, and his terrible defeat at the hands of Mariku made him very bitter. Eventually, he decided the only way to satisfy his thirst for revenge was to kill Mariku. But Mariku had to be alive for him to do that.

*_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
It's like a_ _whirlwind inside of_ _my head  
It's like I can't stop what I'm_ _hearing within  
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin_*

So he decided to recreate Malik**'**s suffering and fury in the way he knew best-

Torture.

*_I know I've got a face in me  
Points out all my mistakes to me_*

He tortured the boy three days strait, trying to ignite the same feelings which had made Mariku before.

It worked.

But Mariku reminded him of the fact that he was in Malik**'**s body, and after everything Malik had done for him, murdering him would hardly be fair.

So Malik had his evil side returned permanently.

*_You've got a face on the inside too and  
Your paranoia's_ _probably_ _worse  
I don't_ _know what set me off first  
But I know what I can't stand  
Everybody acts like the_ _fact of the matter is  
I can't add up to what you can but_*

Boy, was he mad.

He refused to speak to Bakura for months, and probably would have stayed mad forever, until the high-and-mighty Bakura actually _apologized_.

Malik was so stunned he accepted the apology.

* * *

A white-skinned boy stared out the window, tapping his pencil. Usually a model student, even he wasn**'**t interested in this useless crap.

His gentle, bulbous eyes were inhumanly emerald, glimmering brilliant lime. White hair flowed around his pale, childlike face onto his shoulders. Named Ryou Bakura (also known as Bakura, Yadounushi, and Weakling) He was a lady**'**s man-sweet, cute, polite-but wasn**'**t interested in ladies. He wasn**'**t like other people, and he could blame that on what resembled an intricate gold dream-catcher hidden under his cream-colored sweater.

*_Everybody has a face that they hold inside  
A face that_ _awakes when I close my eyes  
A face watches_ _every time they lie  
A face that laughs every time they fall_*

It was the Millennium Ring, and within it resided Bakura (a.k.a Soul-Stealer, Thief King, Tomb-Robber, Evil Spirit of the Millennium Ring, Why-Can**'**t-You-Just-Die-Already, and He-Who-Likes-Raw-Meat), the ambitious, sadistic spirit who had given Bakura a real life and ruined his life in one foul swoop. Yes, Ryou was the second of the three souls who are pure light, and yes, it is the same Bakura.

*_And watches everything_*

**"**Mister Bakura**!"**

Ryou jumped. A few kids snickered, and Ryou blushed. He was glad Bakura was bored by school and didn**'**t much hang around in his mind-it would be difficult to explain a roomful of lifeless bodies, especially considering I wasn**'**t supposed to let anybody know that Bakura had survived-Yami had even checked when I returned from wherever I had been, not knowing that Malik person had returned him into the Ring in return for helping him and didn**'**t return the Ring until he returned from Egypt. Ah, well.

*_So you know that when it's time to sink or swim  
That the face_ _inside is watching you too  
Right inside your skin_*

* * *

Yugi looked pityingly at his friend. _Old bat_ he thought grumpily. //**Hmm?**\\

Yami**'**s voice made Yugi jump, much as Ryou had jumped. **"**And what is your problem, Mutou?**"** The teacher sneered, glaring at me. **"**N-nothing**!"** _'Nothing' is what she misses_ //**Sorry\\** Yami**'**s voice amended sheepishly. _Ah, the old bat's got it in for me._

//**You want me to mind crush her?\**\

_**No!**_ Yami took things far too seriously. Yugi was the third of the souls, but his darkness had given up being dark the year before. Now he was simply hyper-competitive and over-protective. Which meant he took things far too seriously. **"Mutou!!"**

*_The sun goes down  
I feel the_ _light betray_ _me  
The sun goes_ _down  
I feel the light_ _betray me_*

Yugi nearly jumped out of his skin. The bat was about an inch from him. He had been so absorbed in their discussion that he hadn**'**t even noticed.

"Your attention span is growing worse by the minute. Detention."

Everybody was staring openly at Yugi-except Malik, who was staring into space, and Kaiba, who was fervently typing way at his laptop.

//**The offer to mind crush her is still open.**\\

_Don't tempt me_.

_*It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head  
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin*_


End file.
